While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact number of Americans who use charcoal toothpaste, its use has grown over the years. The main use of charcoal toothpaste is to whiten teeth, and many people see it as an easy way to improve their dental hygiene. However, dentists are quick to point out that charcoal toothpaste has yet to receive the Seal of Acceptance from the American Dental Association (ADA).
What is Charcoal Toothpaste?
This is a form of toothpaste that contains activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is created by heating materials that are rich in carbon, like coconut shells, wood, or bamboo, to temperatures as high as 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. During this heating process, the charcoal develops small pores that increase its surface area and its ability to absorb impurities. That’s why activated charcoal is used in medicine to absorb toxins and poisons. When added to toothpaste, activated charcoal is expected to remove stains on teeth by absorbing the liquids that cause them.
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The Pros and Cons of Using It
Although the benefits of using charcoal toothpaste haven’t been thoroughly vetted, a few have been recorded by those who use it. As such, using charcoal toothpaste may help to remove surface stains on your teeth, improve bad breath, and reduce the likelihood of staining after you’ve had a professional cleaning.
Unfortunately, the list of potential cons is longer than the benefits you may experience. Interestingly, charcoal toothpaste is highly abrasive and may wear down your tooth enamel if used too often. If this happens, your teeth can appear yellow. This abrasiveness can increase your teeth’s sensitivity as well, which can be painful for some people.
Charcoal toothpaste also only removes surface stains, so it’s possible for them to reappear eventually. This occurrence is even more likely if the toothpaste wears down your tooth enamel. If you’re an older person, charcoal toothpaste has been shown to stain older teeth as well as white fillings, veneers, bridges, and crowns.
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Most interestingly, many brands of charcoal toothpaste don’t contain fluoride. Fluoride is typically included in toothpaste as a way to prevent cavities and tooth decay. It’s especially important for people who are living with sickle cell disease because of their increased likelihood of having dental issues.
According to many studies, persons with sickle cell disease can have deformities in their enamel, nerve damage, and death of the pulp beneath the teeth. They’re also more prone to having cavities. With the exception of tooth decay and significant changes in enamel, you can have dental issues without knowing.
When interviewing people with sickle cell disease who have dental problems, many of them emphasized paying more attention to the maintenance of their overall health than to their teeth. Unfortunately, if you include charcoal toothpaste in their dental care, you may only make things worse by damaging your enamel and robbing your teeth of much-needed fluoride.
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Better Ways to Whiten Your Teeth Naturally
The good news is that charcoal toothpaste isn’t the only way you can whiten your teeth at home. The first technique you can try is known as oil pulling. In this procedure, you swish oil around your mouth to remove bacteria and plaque that can cause discoloration in your teeth. Coconut oil is the most common one as it has a pleasant taste as well as other health benefits. To use it, put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth after waiting a bit for it to melt. It’s best to keep doing the oil pulling for 15-20 minutes. For best results, you should do it daily. Since coconut oil doesn’t expose your teeth to any harmful oils, your enamel will be safe.
Another option is brushing your teeth with baking soda. It’s a mild abrasive, so it can remove surface stains from your teeth, leaving them whiter. Additionally, baking soda can make your mouth alkaline, which is inhospitable to the bacteria that usually cause tooth decay. Using baking soda can also reduce plaque, gum inflammation, and bleeding. While you can use toothpaste that has baking soda added, you can also use it on its own. To do this, you can combine one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of water to make a paste. You can then use this paste on your teeth two or three times per week.
Hydrogen peroxide can also help you to whiten your teeth as it’s a bleaching agent that also kills bacteria. In fact, this is why so many tooth whitening products on the market contain hydrogen peroxide. According to a recent study, toothpastes with the highest levels of hydrogen peroxide were effective at removing even tough stains caused by coffee. However, that doesn’t mean you should always reach for them. Too much hydrogen peroxide can irritate your gums and increase tooth sensitivity. Instead, you should rinse your teeth with hydrogen peroxide that’s no stronger than three percent after brushing. If you experience irritation, consider switching to a dilute solution that’s 1.5 percent.
While more research needs to be done, some health experts suggest that eating certain fruits and vegetables can help to remove plaque on your teeth when done in conjunction with regular brushing. Crunchy, raw vegetables may remove plaque, while slightly acidic fruits such as strawberries and pineapples may help to whiten teeth.
Of course, the best way to deal with stains on your teeth is to prevent them entirely. Brushing and flossing regularly can help to remove the buildup of plaque that can lead to discolored teeth. You should also see your dentist regularly for cleanings as required.
Where food is concerned, it’s best to avoid anything that is known to stain teeth. This list can include soda, red wine, coffee, dark berries, and certain types of tea. Sugary foods can also encourage the buildup of plaque in your mouth. If you can’t cut them out of your diet altogether, then try to reduce how often you consume them and have them through a straw. It’s also a good idea to brush your teeth about an hour after consuming those foods.
Smoking and chewing tobacco can also stain your teeth. The best way to prevent this is to quit. If you’re having trouble with that, talk to your doctor about your options. While some people can stop smoking and chewing tobacco with the help of loved ones’ support, others need medication or other types of medical intervention.
Although charcoal toothpaste has grown in popularity, many dentists still doubt its effectiveness. Some people have seen some difference in teeth, but the potential side effects can be worse. Persons who are at risk for developing dental issues, such as those with sickle cell disease, are usually better off exploring other options for whitening their teeth.
